No longer able to get SOGEA if area has full fibre available

Sorry if it sounds like I don’t really know what I’m talking about - truth is I don’t really, hence asking on here …

I’ve currently got Vodafone broadband (FTTC) and my contract comes to an end on 1st Feb. I have just been told that I cannot continue with broadband under them as they (and apparently all other broadband providers) no longer offer SOGEA if there is full fibre installed in the area.

They are correct that full fibre is available in my postcode however I live in a block of flats which has not had permission and therefore we cannot access. Vodafone say this is unfortunate and I will lose my connection on 1st Feb and the only option is to get mobile broadband (which unfortunately I already know doesn’t work due to signal - again as a result of being in flats).

I just wanted to sense check what they have said basically. Is it really true that if you are in an area where full fibre is available, even if your property is not able to get it then you no long can get standard FTTC broadband from anyone?

Thanks a lot for and input

You say "a block of flats which has not had permission"

Who has not given permission?

They told me the landlord - although I suspect it is the freeholder as all of the individual flats are leasehold

That doesn’t sound right to me. SOGEA is continuing as a product for cases such as yours.

Have you tried one of the ‘smaller’ providers, one with less of a ‘computer says no’ attitude ?

Aquiss for instance ?

Also See

Vodafone are talking rubbish. Firstly they don't have to withdraw an existing service at all, but even in a case where you are in an FTTP priority area and incorrectly classified as having FTTP, they can push back to Openreach and allow SOGEA orders to still be processed.

Unfortunately that is all a big ask for Vodafone to cope with, so you may have to find a more competent ISP.

Thanks - I hope you are right. I will contact some more ISP to see what they say

In reply to a post by Wite123:

I’ve currently got Vodafone broadband (FTTC) and my contract comes to an end on 1st Feb. I have just been told that I cannot continue with broadband under them as they (and apparently all other broadband providers) no longer offer SOGEA if there is full fibre installed in the area.

This is wrong. It's not a question of full fibre being available in "the area" or even a single postcode; it's a question of whether it's available to *your* specific property or not.

Check your property in the BT wholesale checker: https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/

(use the "address checker" tab for best results, although if you currently have a phoneline which is not on an LLU provider like Talktalk, the phone number should also work)

If FTTP is not available (and "FTTP on Demand" means not available), then Vodafone can continue to order SOGEA at your property.

If it says "WBC FTTP" is available, then Vodafone will be able to place an order for FTTP.

At installation time it *is* possible that the FTTP installation will fail, and if so, Vodafone can get the property marked as FTTP unavailable. and then go back to ordering SOGEA.

Thanks - I didn’t think it sounded right either but they we’re pretty adamant

Thank you - I just checked and it says “FTTP is not available.”

“The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme”

Hopefully I will at least be able to switch provide to someone who will let me have broadband